Rhetorical device

apophasis

• also called "Paralipsis"
• author mentions an argument or fact in order to deny it or to deny using it
• also used to mention something indirectly
• = a form of irony
  • may be seen as a "passive-aggressive" argument
    • in that it states something while apologizing for having stated it
• examples:
  • "But we won't talk about my opponent's disastrous married life"
  • "It would be a breach of decorum to mention base morals such as she embodies"
• actual use of paralipses:
  • during the 1984 presidential debates, Ronald Reagan, who was much older than his opponent, stated,
    • "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

paralipsis

• see Apophasis